


Forget-me-not

by AndiiErestor



Category: TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works & Related Fandoms, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: F/F, Multi, Rated for the second chapter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:33:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26302759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AndiiErestor/pseuds/AndiiErestor
Summary: The Valar lead by example, or so they try. For some, taking a spouse is no problem, but for Nienna and Yavanna, it is a love greater than most understand, leading to the creation of the two trees that would light the known world for years. Thankfully, Aule understands.
Relationships: Yavanna/Nienna, mentions of Yavanna/Aule
Comments: 4
Kudos: 5
Collections: Tolkien Reverse Summer Bang 2020





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [2Nienna2](https://archiveofourown.org/users/2Nienna2/gifts).



> art by 2Nienna2. <3 Thank you for all your help and for your beautiful piece.
> 
> Art at the beginning for all to see because I couldn't hide such a thing, but content explicitly involving it will be in the second chapter. Dx

Ea! And the world was.

With the fire of Eru in their hearts, in perfect love and perfect light, the Valar brought the world to fruition. The seas and the reefs and the fish, the mountains and the cliffs and the eagles, the forests and the flowers and the elk, and the children of Eru – the elder, the first born, the elves – awoke in Cuivienen alight with ecstasy for the world around them.

They travelled the land, giving the Eldar and all of Arda their blessings. They celebrated in the love of the children and shared in it themselves. For long, they celebrated in creation without regard for shame or consequence. Until the discordant one began to bear his own malice upon the world.

Jealousy and hatred and rage filled the hearts of the children and the beautiful land of their making. The lamps fell and their towers crumbled and darkness once again descended upon Arda.

The elves, in love and faith, had built cities and homes and now began to set boundaries – towering walls of stone –between these villages, forbidding others from entering without inspection or written permission.

Their love they restricted only to those of their own circumstance, and with heavy heart the Valar met to discuss their fates, and with heavier hearts resolved to stop this madness before it could spread.

The lord of the Halls of the dead went to work silently and took Vairë as his wife, both of them residing in his halls and leaving them rarely. But this was not as the Ainur had ever wished it.

The music of the Ainur was love and creation, and they struggled greatly to understand why the children were so easily swayed by the discordant one. How could they turn away from light and love with nary a glance back?

When finally they made their peace with the discord of the children, Manwë came forth and brought to them the Laws and Customs by which they should abide for their own good, less the lord of Tirion, for whom a second wife was granted upon Serinde’s decision to remain in the Halls of Mandos forevermore.

The Valar had taken upon themselves raiment in the image of the people, and wed, leading them by example, against their very nature. The Fëanturi stopped bringing spirits to life, Yavanna and Vana’s creative divide grew, Manwë himself became more closed off – taking council only with his wife, Varda, when not in council with the Aratar – turning into little more than a cold ruler to watch over the children.

All the _heart_ of the Valar was quashed when lovers separated and wed to save face. The eternal children of Iluvatar were made to wed only once and share their love with no other…

“You are doing it again, my love,” Yavanna approached Nienna from behind and slipped her arms around her waist. “I can tell your mind is far away from how close your brows are drawn.” The lady whispered a laugh, trying to cheer up her beloved, but knew the attempt was nearly hopeless.

A darkness had always loomed over the lady of mercy, and Yavanna had ever saught to understand, for the cloud that rained over her was not that of Manwë and Ulmo’s making, which brought joy to the children and reminded them all of the presence of the Valar in their lives. It was darkness and sadness and longing, and it was part of what had made her so kind – what had endeared her to Yavanna.

“I was thinking, you are correct,” Nienna answered. “I have been thinking and lost in my thoughts for some time now, and increasingly so recently. You see, I fear what is to come. There is so much uncertainty now, and we must chance our song to accommodate our thoughts, this… It wounds me. Was our song not beautiful enough? Was our song not strong and light enough? Perhaps if-“

“Now, dear,” Yavanna interrupted her, and helped the Valie turn in her arms, pressing a finger to her lips, “That’s enough of that. We may not have much time left for the two of us now, why not enjoy it freely while we can. This is the time for… Mistakes after all. Soon such mistakes will be costly should be spied on.”

_Misake…_

That is what their love would be from now on. They had to lead by example, after all, but… Nienna couldn’t help but wonder how the children were to understand the full extent of love and affection if they were only to witness this new, muted version of it. Of course, the Valar married for love, but it was not the kind of free love they had shared in once upon a time. Even…

Even Yavanna had married.Aulë, the smith, was a good husband for her. He admired her creations, though he understood them little, and he loved her as much as he could – enough to let the two of them continue _whatever_ it was their relationship would be. Yes, Aulë was a decent man. They would do well together and would grow naturally off each other.Yavanna would be happy.

“Will you come with me, dearest?” Yavanna asked, her face lowered to speak by Nienna’s ear, “I would very much like to take you to a lovely spot I have discovered. I think it may be a nice place for us to meet, if you would agree to join me there.”

“Aye,” tearful eyes gazed up into warm, honeyed brown, “I will come with you.”

\---

Together, the two walked for many hours, visiting both hill and valley, meadow and grove, forest and field, though neither payed much attention to any of them as they did to each other. Until at last they came to a hill of deepest green, upon which they could see as far as the ocean dividing the land of Aman and that of Beleriand.

Atop the hill, Yavanna came to a stop and sat, taking Nienna down with her. Side by side and with Nienna’s arm linked with hers, they both stared out at the sea, letting the wind and the sound of leaves from the trees around them sooth their worries for the moment.

\---

“I will not forget you…”

It was a poorly disguised question – one that was meant to sound more like reassurance, but Yavanna understood it for the question that it was: Will you still remember me, when you are in the arms of your husband?

“I could never forget,” she answered, “Even should I want to, for you are essential to my being. Without you, I would wither and waste away. You see not the good that you do and the strength that you give to those who would understand you.”

“Few would choose a path such as mine, for it requires much grief and loss and the understanding of it despite the pain of it.”

“Perhaps, but those who have seen the truth of it and understood have come out stronger for it, and I must admire that, for greater spirits have been broken by less.”

“Mm.”

Nienna agreed and lay her head back against Yavanna’s shoulder and silence fell upon them once again, both of them lost in their own minds.

\---

Arda had been created in a moment of divine inspiration. To see it now only a fragment of what it was meant to be hurt, deeply. No longer did the Valar seek to create life or to share in it, but rather ruled stoically over what life there already was, for much work was now required of them.

 _What a shame_ , Yavanna thought. Such life and such joys the children would miss for all the darkness that had been sewn into the world by hands not of their own.

How wonderful it would have been to create such things anew, to rebuild after the destruction of Melkor, but how?

The thought remained as she recalled her past meetings with Nienna and their discussions – reflections – on the meaning of things and the heart of others and how to sew and grow and how to create life. Such a thing they had always wished to do together, but could never seem to find the way.

They could have travelled and visited the unknown places of the world – where only the briefest of thoughts had touched the land, and much work remained to be done. They could have taught the children about plants and trees and how to care for things in a way that is not destructive to themselves. They could have done much, but they remained on the hill together, staring out, both resolutely ignoring the presence of the other – as though either were capable of such a thing.

Nienna broke the spell of silence first, eyes seeking out her partner’s with longing, her hand coming to rest on a russet thigh peeking out from under a skirt of greens.Yavanna slowly turned to face her, reaching out in kind, slipping her hand under Nienna’s dark cowl to cup her cheek.

For long they simply gazed into each other’s eyes, seeking and offering in same the comfort and love which they shared, then Yavanna leaned forward and captured Nienna’s lips in a kiss. Fierce and full of the love they had yet to give.

They pulled at each other, never close enough, as they kissed. Yavanna slipped her hand further beneath Nienna's veil until her hand rested behind the other's head to cradle her near.

Nienna moaned and leaned in further, pressing her chest against Yavanna's, loving the rough texture of the coarse brocade she wore as it rubbed against her chest. Her heart ached as well as the point between her thighs. She wanted Yavanna - _all of her_ \- and all of _her_ longed and seemed to be reaching out to her lover.

And Yavanna responded in kind.

Hearing the unspoken call for their union, Yavanna pulled Nienna to straddle her, keeping one hand possessively on Nienna's thigh, the other behind her back, pressing that little spot in the dip of her back that made her go weak.

Nienna allowed herself to be pulled onto Yavanna's lap, wrapping her arms around her lover's shoulders, hands plunging into thick, curling locks, gripping and holding on as though her life depended on it, and in a way it did. Their lives would be forever changed after this.

“I want to remember this forever,” Yavanna whispered into Nienna’s ear and trailed her lips along the outer shell of it. “I never want to forget the look on your face as I make you utterly fall apart.”

Nienna wept for having her exact sentiment spoken aloud back to her. She felt ridiculous for having doubted it, but she had all the same. Fear drove her such.

“Do not weep, my love,” Yavanna said, mouth following a path of its own from Nienna’s earlobe, along her neck and collar bones to the dip at the base of her throat. “This is a moment of joy,” she said, her voice somewhat raspier than usual, “Our love is a beautiful thing, and I would leave the truth of it pressed into your skin for all to see.”

Nienna whimpered and bared her throat to her lover, willing her heart to stop racing. Her heart felt as though it would fly out of her chest with ecstasy or with the pain of knowing this could not go on.

“Yavanna,” Nienna whispered, and Yavanna stopped, understanding without needing to be told that Nienna needed a moment to breathe.

Nienna buried her face in Yavanna’s shoulder, letting her tears fall as she frantically kissed any part of her that she could reach – cheek, lips, jaw, lips, neck, shoulder, lips, cheek, lips…

When she pulled back, Nienna’s eyes were wide, blood-shot, and red-rimmed from crying, with tear tracks all over her cheeks, but Yavanna thought she’d never been more beautiful.


	2. Chapter 2

“My heart, you are more resplendent than ever before,” Yavanna spoke. “Please, look at me.”

Nienna glanced up from Yavanna’s neck where her face had been buried and looked into her eyes, weeping at the love she found there – the awe, the admiration, the want, the _need_. 

“The stars shine in your eyes as they do on your skin,” Yavanna brush her hands up and down Nienna’s arms, pressing gently on each of the marks on her skin. “The rose of your cheeks rivals that of my flowers, breathing life and love into you. The depth of your hair puts the sky to shame. You are the most beautiful thing I have ever laid eyes on, and I thank our Creator every day that you are among those who joined us here on this world of our making, for I cannot imagine a life without you.”

Tears streamed down Nienna’s cheeks unhindered by the veil she wore, so many they were and finally she removed the veil and pressed her lips to Yavanna’s once more.

“Your love makes my heart sing once more,” Nienna whispered. “Will you sing with me, my heart?”

“Aye, I will sing with you,” Yavanna answered, “Let us dance and bare our love to the world.”

“I want that,” Nienna kissed the words to Yavanna’s cheek, “I want that more than anything.”

And so they did.

Yavanna once again took hold of Nienna’s thighs and flipped them so that her lover was beneath her. Lifting her lover’s robes, she pressed kisses to one pale thigh, then the other, making her way to the apex of Nienna’s need. Such she kissed too, before baring Nienna’s lips to her gaze and devouring her thus.

Nienna threw her head back, hands clenching in the grass at her sides, crying out for her love. “Yavanna, my love,” tears slipped from the corner of her eyes, “I would love you as you love me.”

Yavanna pulled away and groaned, removing Nienna’s robe entirely, and placing it on the ground, before adding her own on top of it. She patted Nienna’s hip and slipped the material beneath her, and was lost in admiration of her lover for a short moment, before moving to take her place above Nienna.

Nienna eagerly wrapped her arms around Yavanna’s thighs as her love lowered herself above her and began to kiss and lick her way to the crux of her pleasure before Yavanna was even fully in position, causing the other to cry out and drop to her elbows, head pressed against Nienna’s own thigh as words of supplication escaped her.

“Please, my heart, wait for me,” Yavanna pleaded, and quickly pulled Nienna’s legs apart to bare her to her own gaze.

Slowly, she began to kiss and lick and suck, tongue swirling around her clit and dipping inside for a taste of Nienna’s love. Soon enough, her fingers joined her lips and tongue, diving deeper inside and stimulating her lover simultaneously.

Nienna cried out, throwing her head back to catch her breath, “You will end me,” she gasped, “Please come with me. Don’t let me go alone.”

Yavanna raised her head, though her fingers continued their penetration, and spoke, “I would never abandon you. I would fall apart without you.”

Nienna whined and returned to claiming her lover, all while falling apart at her hands.

Together they danced in this manner for time immeasurable, for all things outside of their bonding ceased to matter – ceased to exist – as they made love. Until finally, Yavanna – in her climax – gripped Nienna’s thigh, nails digging in, cried out and desperately continued her ministrations to bring Nienna along with her, all the while Nienna herself squirmed and writhed beneath Yavanna, her own end taking over her.

Exhausted now, they lay side by side and gazed up at the stars, marvelling at their existence, and _their_ existence, and slowly, their voices were raised in song. All around them the sounds of love and bliss arose and from the ground below them sprouted the proof of them. 

Trees of silver and gold both, arose and entwined, glowing brightly for all to see and admire. Tall they were, and visible from afar, bringing light to all the land as an eternal reminder of the love and unity of Yavanna and Nienna. 

Together, the lovers arose and held each other in the light of their creation.

Nienna wept for their beauty, and Yavanna too, for worry that others might understand the truth of such beauty. 

Before long, elves would be upon them, and such was heralded by the approach of Aulë himself.

Yavanna was the first to notice him and gasped. Picking up her robes from the ground and pulling them on quickly, before helping Nienna into her own, placing the delicate veil over her as well.

With nervous hands, Yavanna tied the sash of Nienna’s robes, avoiding her husband’s gaze as long as possible, not yet willing to face his wrath.

“Wife-mine,” Aulë said as he came upon them, “Such beauty you have wrought in our time. Whence came such inspiration?”

Yavanna wrung her hands and finally stepped before him, and he knew the truth then. “It is not only I who you must thank for such beauty, but Nienna also, for without her such would have been impossible.”

“Ai, my dearest,” Aulë came closer and took her hands in his own, “You worry, I see it in you, but you fear needlessly. How could I ever begrudge you such a thing.” Aulë bowed his head before his wife, “I would not seek to mark such an occasion – such life and love and beauty – with the darkness of the discordant one…” He paused, “Nienna, please, come to us, for I would thank you.”

The lady of mercy stepped forth from the light of the trees and bowed to the smith, “I would thank you also, lord Aulë, for without lady Yavanna, I would have never known such light.”

“Aye, and neither would I, nor any other,” Aulë nodded sagely, “and such I could simply never hate, for look at what has come forth of it. Your love is sacred and welcomed by the creator, surely.”

Nienna wept silently and bowed her head as Yavanna turned to her husband, “You are not…”

“Nay, I could never,” Aulë shook his head, “I have long seen the longing between you, and the purity of the love you share, as I have seen the same look in your eyes when you wake next to me – as I see it even now as you look at me. Your love is _more_ for being shared, not lesser, and ever do we need more of it in this world.”

Yavanna nearly wept for joy, but leapt instead into her husband’s arms and kissed him, for truly she had never expected that he would be so willing to face the wrath of Manwë for allowing this.

“My husband, you have made of me the happiest wife, just as my dear heart has,” Yavanna laughed, “Aye, we are blessed,” she turned to Nienna and opened her arms to her, Aulë doing the same also, “Truly our love is not one to be ashamed of. We ought to celebrate it instead.”

“Aye, and we shall, though perhaps not where all might witness,” Nienna whispered into their chests.

“Correct,” Aulë smiled, “Then perhaps you would consider joining my wife and I for a meal, and we might consider how such things will benefit us, and how we might keep the concerns of others away from us?”

“Aye, lord Aulë, I would join you both,” Nienna nodded in agreement, finally lifting her gaze to meet his, “For I do not know that my heart might be parted from me so soon.”

“Then let it not be,” he spoke, “I would have both of you hale and whole and happy.”

“I am muchly so,” Yavanna agreed. “Come, my love, let us go away from here and rest.”

Nienna nodded in agreement and took Yavanna’s hand, and together the three of them stepped away from the trees as some of the children finally came upon the hill.

“Let the light of these trees ever serve as a reminder that all love is blessed by the Creator, and that such love should be rewarded.”  
  
"Aye."  
  
" _Aye._ "


End file.
